Due to fire behavior and hot, dry and windy temperatures, the Cameron Peak Fire grew to 23,137 acres Thursday with containment remaining at 6%.
With this increased fire activity, more smoke could be seen coming from the area, and led to a health advisory warning from the Colorado Air Pollution and Control Division. Temperatures reached the low 80s in the fire area, which, coupled with the wind and dry conditions, made it easier for the fire to grow.
“That is quite a bit warmer than what we have seen for the last couple of days,” said Cory Mottice, incident meteorologist with the National Weather Service during the Thursday night community update.
Mottice added, however, that going into next week the fire will see much cooler temperatures as well as rain and potentially snow.
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith said that while in a usual year this forecast going into Labor Day weekend would be a bad thing, he is “pretty happy to hear that forecast.”
The fire stayed most active on the northeastern perimeter, where crews were on site to ensure the safety of nearby structures as they have for the past few weeks.
According to the Cameron Peak Fire media team, crews completed about 40% of the line south of Deadman Road toward the Killpecker Tower. The surge crew assigned to the fire continued to build handlines south from Crown Point Road into the Comanche Peak Wilderness, and that line is now estimated at 50% completion.
According to the team, crews also worked to construct indirect line from Cameron Pass through the Neota Wilderness and this line is estimated at 70% completion.
Thursday, crews continued to monitor fire activity along the fire’s perimeter and provided point protection and structure mitigation as it was needed. Structure mitigation, with landowner permission and defensive planning, is scheduled to continue in the Crystal Lakes, Red Feather Lakes, Glacier View and surrounding areas.
Thursday night Smith also addressed a number of evacuation changes, as three areas were switched from mandatory to voluntary evacuation status. This included the northwest corner near the Four Corners area, along Colo. 14 from Rustic and around the Pingree Park area. Smith added, however, that this could change.
“My reminder to folks is if the fire picks up that can and will change quickly,” Smith said.
Bea Day, incident commander for the National Incident Management Organization incident management team, also addressed the newly reported COVID-19 case among fire team workers.
The COVID-19 positive worker returned to the fire’s forward operating base and was in contact with several people when he arrived. Once he was confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, the base was locked down and secured due to the potential exposure of the 184 personnel at the site. However, a Thursday afternoon update said there is “reasonable belief” that only 25 people had direct contact and nine others had possible contact.
It is possible that some of the 25 people were not in contact long enough to be considered exposed per county guidelines, according to the release. Fire medical personnel with the support of the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment is determining who meets the guidelines for isolation and quarantine.
The update added that those who test positive will be relocated and isolated. Those who may have been exposed will be tested, relocated and quarantined. Negative tests will be repeated until the county guidelines are met and they can be released from quarantine.
“We have a responsibility to this community and to other states to ensure that our people are healthy before we send them home,” Day said in the release. “We know that keeping anyone isolated or quarantined won’t be popular, but it’s the right thing to do. It’s due to the exceptionally good social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing practices at the FOB, that this wasn’t worse.”
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September 04, 2020 at 10:06AM
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Dry weather increases activity of Cameron Peak Fire - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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